Barbara Hannah Grufferman

Best of Everything After 50

Barbara Hannah Grufferman wrote "The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More" because she wanted to be the best she could be after 50. She's an AARP blogger, columnist and host of "The Best of Everything" video series on the AARP YouTube channel. She's a frequent guest on the Today Show, CBS' The Early Show, Good Morning America, Dr. Oz and other national television.

Shopping for new spring clothes was a pre-Easter treat when I was a kid. My mother and grandmother would take my sister and me, and I can still remember the thrill of finding a perfect pair of patent leather shoes: white the first few years — and oh, the trauma of those first few scuff marks! — then shiny black when we hit the magically mature age of 8. If we were lucky, we might also score a new spring …

Dress trends have come and gone over the years. The Roaring Twenties were epitomized by the rise of Coco Chanel and the flapper look — short hair and short, shapeless shift dresses. During the late 1930s and early ’40s, the glamour of Hollywood prevailed — until, of course, World War II broke out, making couture seem inconsequential. More structured dresses — inspired by military uniforms and fitting the mood of the times — then began to be worn with pride. …

A beauty trend gaining traction on runways and magazine covers has spawned its own hashtag: #IWokeUpLikeThis. The “No-Makeup Look,” as it’s called, is quick and easy, and the results are very pretty. Yes, we’ve been through this before: The No-Makeup Look threatens to catch on every time Beyoncé or Gwyneth Instagrams a photo of herself sans powder or lipstick. Or when Dakota Johnson, the female star of Fifty Shades of Grey, graces the cover of Vogue looking as if she’s wearing …

Walking. Indoor cycling. Yoga. Older Americans continue gravitating to these activities as a favorite way to burn calories, but now there’s a new kid in the town gym: It’s called high-intensity interval training, and it seems destined to become a HIIT. Never heard of HIIT? Based on studies conducted by Martin Gibala, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, HIIT is showing the world that less is more when it comes to exercise. There couldn’t be better news …

The sandwich generation — those of us (usually women over 45) squeezed by the competing demands of kids, aging parents, work, community, romantic partner and so on — rarely have time to think about the things that will make us feel fit and stylish. But we need to make that time, so I’ve listed a few action items designed to boost our health and happiness in the new year. Many of these are trends that came to light in 2014 …

Think of all the excuses you give yourself not to exercise: No time Working late Too cold Too rainy With my hair in this state? You must be joking! Now counterbalance that with all the reasons why moving your body should be as automatic a part of your day as brushing your teeth: Better health Lower weight Less disease Sounder sleep Health numbers — for cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. — that put a smile on your doctor’s face. …